Knowledge Recombination in New Product Development : Boundary Types and Combinative Capabilities

Researchers have repeatedly emphasized the importance of knowledge
recombination for firms' new product development efforts. For this
purpose, prior studies identify multiple combinative capabilities
and analyze their combined effects for knowledge integration across
intra-firm boundaries. However, it remains largely unexplored to
what extent these intra-firm boundaries differ and how combinative
capabilities may be deployed to deal with different boundary types.
Drawing upon an inductive study of six modular innovation work
units, we identify boundaries of power, identity, and competence and
observe how managers deploy system, socialization, and coordinative
capabilities to deal with the integration challenges related to
these different boundary types. Further, we derive a process model,
describing how multiple combinative capabilities may be developed to
mutually support each other.

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